PHOTO: DAMION BERGER
Planet Earth
EXPLORE
More than one million swimming pools gleam from
California’s backyards. With the state in its fourth year of
drought, these residential oases have become a target
of local water restrictions. Yet pools can waste less water
than traditional lawns, research has shown.
“The big thing with a pool is that you fill it once,” says
Jonathan Volzke, spokesperson for the Santa Margarita
Water District in Orange County, which rolled back its
pool prohibitions after analyzing water usage. Pools are
also usually surrounded by decks, which means an area
up to three times the size of the pool no longer requires
any water at all. Add a cover to prevent evaporation, and
a pool can use even less water over time than drought-
tolerant landscaping.
—Rachel Hartigan Shea
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